ABOUT THE ROLE A&J

is looking for a hands-on Art Director to lead the daily art and digital-production workflow. This is not a traditional advertising or brand-focused Art Director position. The work is practical, detailed, and closely connected to production. The right person will be comfortable moving between artwork, printing, quality checks, equipment, customers, and helping the team keep orders moving. The Art Director is responsible for moving new invoices through art and into production, managing most digital artwork, maintaining print quality, supporting customers, and making sure decorators have enough ready work to keep orders moving.

WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS

| A&J needs an art department that can keep up with daily orders without every task and decision depending on one person. What You'll Do Daily Order and Production Flow Pull all new invoices that are ready for art and establish the incoming work queue. Process lettering and prepare decal-count sheets for each order. Pull required stock decals and reprint any missing stock decals. Match completed reprints to the correct orders. Make sure decorators have enough invoices and production-ready work available to keep decorating moving. Set daily priorities and coordinate timing, questions, or shortages with the General Manager and the production team. Digital Artwork and Color Manage the digital-artwork workflow across the department. Process new art files and prepare them for production. Print and send customer test fires, then process any requested test-decal updates. Convert legacy artwork into A&J's current color space as needed. Clean and match digital artwork to A&J's standardized production colors. Print remaining decal balances for active orders and verify that colors are vibrant and production-ready. Keep current artwork, converted files, templates, and repeat-order files organized and easy to find. Digital Printer Care Run daily roller cycles to maintain maximum toner coverage. Check toner levels weekly and address supply needs before they interrupt production. Print compensation decals monthly and complete other routine printer checks and maintenance. Identify print-quality problems and coordinate service or repairs when needed. Customer, Administrative, and Team Support Answer phones and respond to customer emails. Answer order questions, provide status updates, and send customer quotes, where applicable. Create invoices when needed. Communicate clearly with OFCs and other team members about artwork, order status, and production needs. Train and direct the future Art Administrator to build practical backup coverage for time off. Document key processes, recurring tasks, printer routines, and file locations needed to keep the department running. Programs and Systems Strong proficiency with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign for creating, editing, sizing, typesetting, and preparing production artwork. Working knowledge of RIP and print-management software used to set up jobs, manage print queues, and troubleshoot output issues. [Illustrator] Experience using QuickBooks to locate invoices, confirm order details, create quotes and invoices, and support the production queue. Proficiency with Microsoft 365. Consistent use of shared file-storage, naming, and archive systems. What We're Looking For Hands-on experience with production art, digital printing, prepress, signage, decals, screen printing, or similar work. Strong typesetting, layout, file-preparation, proofreading, color, and print-production troubleshooting skills. Ability to organize changing priorities, teach others, and work patiently and respectfully with customers and teammates in a small, hands-on shop.

Pay:

$45,000.00 - $52,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Paid time off

Work Location:

In person